Reviews of Private Mobile

"We had a great experience overall with Andrew! He is very knowledgeable, kind, and fun -- an important attribute when you are spending all day, every day together.

Andrew's mobile safari camp was the second of three camps for us and it was the exact adventure we were looking for after starting at a traditional camp. We did 5 nights: 2 at Moremi Game Reserve and 3 at Savuti. It was really cool to see two different landscapes and also drive through a couple villages.

The game viewing was definitely less dense than the other camps we visited as we were in national parks and we couldn't go off road, but Andrew did an amazing job tracking and mixing it up so that it always felt like an adventure. One afternoon we did a little rock scramble to look at old San paintings, another we watched hyena pups pop out of their den. One highlight was the entire day trek we did from one camp to the next — we drove through the Mobabe Depression, napped under two trees, spent a lot of time reading and writing as Andrew drove the land cruiser.

It was different from your usual game drive day, but if you're looking for an adventure and another way to experience Botswana, Andrew's mobile safari is for you. If your entire goal is to have action packed game drives, note that on occasion you may drive for an hour or two without seeing much of interest as the camps are in national parks, and you also have to be back in camp before sunset.

The food was on par with the luxury camps and the staff he brings along — 5 people in our case — were great. Dinner and evening hang outs around the fire were informative and relaxing. Andrew had so many great stories and knew a lot about the constellations (the night sky is unreal). The camp set up itself was very comfortable given the mobile set up, though it did get hot inside the tents during siesta if the day was very hot.

Highly recommend mixing Andrew's mobile safari camp with the traditional camps, you just get to experience Botswana in a different, very intimate way!" See all these reviews: 11n in Botswana

"We have probably never been so well looked after in our lives.

Kennie our hostess was so warm and welcoming. KB looked after our tent which was very comfortable indeed and outfitted with plenty of warm blankets to keep us toasty in the cold winter nights. LB and Julian kept us supplied with warm water for our showers, washed the vehicle daily, and kept the infrastructure of moving and setting up camp perfectly. And Alec the chef prepared absolutely gourmet meals with only an open fire. Out of a metal box came perfect bread twice a day, and perfectly cooked chicken pot pie decorated with little pastry flowers, Bobotie, Indian curry....even the most amazing poached pear dessert .... Each meal was thoughtfully prepared and presented and an absolute treat. Better than most restaurants we have been to.

And finally Andrew was a superb host and guide. For 5 nights we explored Moremi and Khwai areas. We not only spotted lots of game but were able to sit and watch their behavior. He was brilliant at finding us the wild dogs several times. Also a great variety of bird-life. four male elephants fighting with each other in the river.. and a memorable after dinner night drive where we saw 2 bat eared fox, 2 porcupines and a serval. Andrew's enthusiasm and knowledge of the bush made this a very special experience.

Staying in such a comfortable camp in the Botswana wilderness felt more luxurious than the most high end lodges to us." See all these reviews: 11n in Botswana

"I really can't say enough about how wonderful our experience with Andrew and his team was.

Andrew is an outstanding guide who doesn't just know how to spot lions - he possesses an impressive wealth of knowledge about all the animals and birds in the Okavango Delta as well as the natural history of the area and the people and cultural history of Botswana. His passion about the Okavango is clearly evident and it was a privilege to learn from him. He's also just a really great guy and we truly enjoyed just hanging out and talking with him.

Andrew's team is also fantastic. Their professionalism and attention to detail is beyond compare. And the food was outstanding - rivaled any restaurant in Botswana or Namibia! Dining on springbok carpaccio and chocolate mousse at a beautifully set table while listening to hippos in the bush is truly and unforgettable experience.

I hope we'll be able to join them for another safari before we leave Africa!" See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana

"What a marvellous adventure and quite unlike any of the many safaris we have been on before but something utterly unique and beguiling .

Unalloyed by superfulous details this was the real thing - a bush experience of Safari in Africa from days gone by. Andrew was a wonderful host and guide that made the experience utterly unforgettable . His team of helpers, who were on hand to make our stay comfortable and enjoyable were superb and made us feel at home in the bush.

The game viewing was great and food quite exceptional ... not sure how the cook managed to produce such good and enjoyable food in his rudimentary kitchen but it was quite exceptional." See all these reviews: 8n in Botswana

"Andrew's safari was at the same high standard that we have enjoyed on previous trips" See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana; 3n in South Africa

"This was a really great experience and Andrew is a great guy and a great guide. we'd already seen a lot at the camp, so didn't really mind that we didn't see quit so much on this section of the trip and Andrew's knowledge and the whole experience more than compensated.

the food was fab - better than the camp by far.

I've rated the facilities as no comment because in the middle of the bush there are few, but the whole experience was great. It was especially fantastic to be right by the river and have elephants and hippos ( as well as baboons) as our almost constant companions - waking to elephants drinking at dawn was a huge privilege." See all these reviews: 7n in Botswana; 3n in Zambia

"Our mobile safari started in Savuti for 3 nights and then went to Khwai and Moremi for 2 nights each with the terrain becoming less and less dry as we proceeded. It turns out that all the glowing reviews we had previously read about Andrew Harkness and his crew are absolutely spot on.

Andrew, a Brit who has lived in Africa for just about half his life, is amiable, a great guide, and a terrific mobile safari manager. His team included, among others, Kene who interacted with us most often, Tiny who performed housekeeping duties including laundry, and Alec, the chef who created wonderful meals on his wood fire stove. Every detail was attended to including breaking down and setting up the camp each time we moved with our having to do nothing more than pack up our stuff and drive to the next location.

We had multiple honey badger sightings (at least 6); 2 leopard cubs 2-3 weeks old which the mom had stashed in a hollow tree for safekeeping; adolescent elephants playing with each other in the water; multiple roan sightings; 5 lion cubs as their mom came back from hunting, rushing to be reunited with her. I could go on, but you get the picture." See all these reviews: 15n in Botswana

"The private mobile safari is an excellent way to live the wilderness of Botswana.

However, one should be aware when he / she initiates the travel that it is a totally different experience from the lodge. The game drives were excellent." See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana; 1n in Zambia

"We had read really good reviews of Andrew private mobile safaris, and we weren't disappointed! We had a wonderful 8 nights with him and his team in Khwai and Savute. Andrew's knowledge of the wildlife and landscape was really impressive and his relaxed and friendly approach was underpinned by great attention to detail and an ability to adapt to his guests and understand their level of safari experience. We called this the Honey Badger trip. We had never seen one before and with Andrew we saw ten. The best sighting was the two who decided to come and do some foraging outside our tent in the middle of the day.

We were the only two guests. We spent 4 nights in Khwai, where we were near the the river; and then moved to Savute and a very different landscape. Andrew's team of 5 moved ahead and set up the camp. It was a very well-run operation and a lot of work went into creating a seemingly simple and old-style camp. Our meru tent was comfortable, with solar lamps in the evening; and an integrated bucket shower and long-drop at the back. It was attractive to passing wildlife too. There had been very little rain this year and so the elephants were particularly interested in our bucket shower and one looked over the top when we were in it! In Savute, hyenas came at night to drink from the canvas washbasins outside our tent. There was also an open-sided tent with a sofa for lounging in the middle of the day; some interesting old books on Botswana and its history; and, of course, the drinks cabinet.

The food was truly amazing, with menus chosen by Andrew's wife Pippa, and cooked by Alec over an open fire or in a metal box under the ashes. He produced a huge range of dishes, from tasty game stews, to Okavango fish, and delicious puddings, cakes and bread every day. Kene announced the menu each night; Tiny looked after the tents and washed and ironed our clothes (using an old-fashioned coal iron); and LB and Julian made everything run smoothly. It was a friendly, informal and tight team and we learned a lot from talking to them about their lives and plans for the future.

There had been very little rain and so the game was concentrated around the water. In Khwai, we saw many hippos and crocodiles on the river and elephants, zebras and giraffes coming down to drink. A highlight was the pride of lions feasting on a buffalo. There was a wide range of antelopes; vervet monkeys and baboons; and we had a glimpse of a leopard. We came across quite a few other vehicles in Khwai and there were other mobile camp sites nearby but Andrew was very good at finding his own routes and own sightings. You can walk in Khwai and we spent a great morning with Andrew pointing out the small stuff that you can never see from a vehicle - although we did also get close to a herd of zebras.

The drive to Savute was long and took us into very different landscape with rocky hills and dried up lakes, with water pumped into the few water holes. We pitched camp on a ridge on the edge of an escarpment. It was a leafier environment and we were miles from any other travellers. The huge and beautiful dried-out marsh held a very wide range of wildlife. We spent an hour watching the King of the Marsh Pride walking across and then lying in the shade by our vehicle. Lion sightings were generally good here and included a pride of females with 5 young cubs, who were completely at ease with vehicles. We also saw wildebeest, jackals, elephants, giraffes and hyenas. And we should mention the birds. Andrew was an amazing spotter and we saw 63 different species on this trip. As you can tell, we really recommend this trip!

As we were there in winter (end of June), it was really cold in the early mornings and quite cold at night. We had taken lots of thin warm layers and a woolly hat and we were fine with those plus the hot water bottles that were provided in the beds and in the open vehicle on the early drives." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana

"One of the best experiences ever. Andrew was superb, we will return!" See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana; 3n in Zimbabwe